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Important Current Affairs 23rd September 2021

INTERNATIONAL

107-Year-Old Japanese Sisters Are the World’s Oldest Identical Twins

• Japanese Sisters, 107, are Officially World’s Oldest Identical Twins Umeno and Koume Guinness World Records.

• Guinness World Records has certified two Japanese sisters as the world’s oldest living identical twins at 107. Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama were born the third and fourth of 11 siblings on Shodoshima island in western Japan on Nov. 5, 1913.

• Sumiyama and Kodama were 107 years and 300 days old as of Sept 1, breaking the previous record set by famous Japanese sisters Kin Narita and Gin Kanie at 107 years and 175 days.

NATIONAL

Assam govt to set up a tea Park at Chayygaon of Kamrup district

• Assam is setting up a tea Park at Chayygaon in Kamrup District. This tea garden will have rail and port connectivity, cargo and warehouse amenities, processing facilities like tea grinding, blending, packaging and other utility services under one roof.

• Tea garden companies using garden lands for plantation of Segun and agar or selling off the tea estates, the Minister stated that tea garden owners cannot sell off their estates as the leased land still belongs to Assam Government and instead asked them to focus on innovation and branding of Assam Tea.

The first edition of THFF will begin from 24 to 28 September at Leh

• The first edition of ‘The Himalayan Film Festival-2021’ (THFF) will begin from 24 to 28 September at Leh, Ladakh. The film festival is being organised by the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

• The film festival is being hosted in collaboration with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. The five-day film festival is a part of the celebration of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence.

• The film festival will have active participation from the local filmmakers and showcase talent from across the 12 Himalayan states and UTs. Popular films from the Himalayan states viz Assam, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh besides Indian Panorama selected films will be showcased during the festival.

Tamil Nadu’s Kovalam beach, Puducherry’s Eden get Blue Flag certification

• Two more beaches in India have been awarded “Blue Flag” certification, an international eco-level tag, taking the total number of such beaches in the country to 10. The two beaches to receive the certification this year are Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry.

• The Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), Denmark, which accords the Blue Flag certification, has also given re-certification for eight nominated beaches – Shivrajpur-Gujarat, Ghoghla-Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri-Karnataka, Kappad-Kerala, Rushikonda- Andhra Pradesh, Golden-Odisha and Radhanagar- Andaman and Nicobar, which were awarded the Blue Flag certificate last year. These eight beaches got the Blue Flag certification on October 6, 2020.

SPORTS

India’s  D. Gukesh wins Norway Chess Open 2021

• India’s D Gukesh won his second consecutive tournament of this month, the Norway Chess Open 2021 Masters section.

• Gukesh scored an unbeaten 8.5/10 and finished a full point ahead of the competition to win the tournament. Iniyan secured sole second position with 8.5/10 points, finishing a half point ahead of top seed Dmitrij Kollars (Germany) and Valentin Dragnev (Austria).

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics unveiled its official motto, "Together for a Shared Future"

• The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics unveiled its official motto, “Together for a Shared Future”, during a ceremony at the city’s Capital Museum. The motto was chosen after a lengthy process that included a total of 79 different proposals. This motto embodies the Olympic spirit, the Chinese way of revealing the Olympic spirit.

• That’s because ‘together’ embodies a type of unity, cohesion and a way of overcoming difficulties. The Games will be held from February 4-20, with Beijing set to become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Facebook India appoints former IAS Officer Rajiv Aggarwal as Head of Public Policy

• Facebook India has appointed former IAS officer Rajiv Aggarwal as the Director of Public Policy. He succeeds Ankhi Das, who quit the company in October last year. She was embroiled in a controversy for opposing the enforcement of hate-speech rules against right-wing leaders in the country. In his new role, Aggarwal will define and lead important policy development initiatives for Facebook in India on an agenda that covers user safety, data protection and privacy, inclusion and internet governance.

• Aggarwal has over 26 years of experience as an Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) and worked as a District Magistrate in nine districts across Uttar Pradesh.

UN General Assembly 2021: Kailash Satyarthi appointed as Sustainable Development Goals advocate

• Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocate in the 76th UN General Assembly. Guterres appointed Satyarthi, STEM activist Valentina Munoz Rabanal, Microsoft President Brad Smith and K-pop superstars BLACKPINK as new SDG Advocates. With this, the UN now has total of 16 SDG Advocates.

• The SDG Advocates use their considerable spheres of influence to reach new constituencies to act now and keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals for people and for the planet.

• The UN said climate action, bridging the digital divide, gender equality and the promotion of the rights of children are key issues to be championed by the new SDG Advocates.

• The SDG Advocates are prominent leaders in the world who work to mobilise action to deliver the 17 SDGs by 2030, using their considerable spheres of influence.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Zee to merge with Sony; Punit Goenka will be CEO & MD of combined entity

• The Board of Directors of ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has unanimously approved the merger of the company with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI). As a part of the merger, shareholders of SPNI will also infuse growth capital into SPNI, which will make them the majority stakeholder in the merged entity. The merged entity will be listed on the Indian stock exchanges.

• Zee Entertainment will hold 47.07 per cent stake, while Sony India will hold a 52.93 per cent stake in the combined company.

• Following the merger, Sony India will have the right to appoint the majority of directors to the merged company.

• Puneet Goenka, the CEO of Zee Entertainment, will be the MD and CEO of the merged entity for a period of 5 years.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Sign Languages 2021: 23rd September

• The International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September. This day is celebrated to raise awareness of sign languages and strengthen the status of sign languages. The theme for the 2021 International Day of Sign Languages is “We Sign For Human Rights” highlighting how each of us – deaf and hearing people around the world – can work together hand in hand to promote the recognition of our right to use sign languages in all areas of life.

• The proposal for the Day came from the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), a federation of 135 national associations of deaf people, representing approximately 70 million deaf people’s human rights worldwide. The choice of 23 September commemorates the date that the WFD was established in 1951. The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.

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Important Current Affairs 22nd September 2021

INTERNATIONAL

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wins 3rd term

• Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has won the third term to serve as the PM of the country, after his party won the 2021 parliamentary elections on September 20, 2021. However, the Liberal Party of the 49-year-old Justin Trudeau could only manage to win minority seats in the election. Justin Trudeau is in power since 2015.

• Trudeau’s Liberals were leading or elected in 157 seats exactly the same number they won in 2019, 13 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

NATIONAL

CISF Official Geeta Samota Becomes 'Fastest Indian' to Summit Two Peaks

• CISF official Geeta Samota became the “fastest Indian” to summit two peaks located in Africa and Russia. Earlier this month, Sub Inspector Geeta Samota had scaled Mount Elbrus in Russia, the highest peak in Europe. While Mt Elbrus (5,642 mts) is in Russia, the Kilimanjaro peak (5,895 mts) is located in Tanzania and is Africa’s highest peak.

• Samota works with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a central paramilitary force under the command of the Union home ministry. Geeta Samota joined CISF in 2011 and was in the unit in 2012. She has also scaled Mt Satopanth (7075 metres; located in Uttarakhand) and Mt Lobuche (in Nepal). She was also a team member of the Mt Everest expedition team of the CAPF.

India, Indonesia begin three-day naval exercise in Sunda Strait

• The 3rd edition of Bilateral Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ is scheduled from September 20 to Sep 22. Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kadmatt had already arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia in the preparedness of this one of a kind exercise aimed at improving bilateral ties between India and Indonesia. The Indian navy will be participating in Samudra Shakti with the Indonesian navy to enhance mutual understanding and interoperability in maritime operations between the two navies.

• The exercise that will also see the Indonesian Army take part in it, will provide an appropriate platform to share best practices and develop a common understanding of Maritime Security Operations.

• In pursuance of India’s Act East Policy, Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ was conceived in 2018 as a bilateral IN-IDN exercise.

Uttar Pradesh govt to set up electronic park in 250 acres near Jewar Airport

• The Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government has cleared a proposal to develop an ‘Electronic Park’, along the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) area, near Noida, to promote the electronics industry. The park is proposed to be developed in an area of 250 acres of the YEIDA near Jewar Airport.

• National and international companies manufacturing mobile phones, TVs and other electronic devices and accessories will establish their units in the park.

• The new Electronic Park will be built at an investment of around Rs 50,000 crore as well as generate employment for thousands of local youths.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Air Marshal VR Chaudhari to be IAF’s next Chief of Air Staff

• Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Marshal, Vivek Ram Chaudhari has been appointed the next Chief of Air Staff. The current Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria is set to retire on September 30. Chaudhari had taken over as the vice chief on July 1 this year, after Air Marshal HS Arora retired. He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Vayu Sena Medals.

• He was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF in December 1982, he has a flying experience of more than 3,800 hours on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft, including missions flown during Operation Meghdoot, the Air Force’s support to capture the Siachen glacier in the 1980s, and Operation Safed Sagar (the support provided by the IAF during the Kargil conflict in 1999).

• An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Chaudhari has commanded a frontline fighter squadron and a fighter base during his career.

OBITUARY

Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Narendra Giri passed away in UP

• President of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri has passed away. It was in 2016 that Giri first took over as chief of the Akhara Parishad. It was during his tenure that the Parishad released a list of allegedly “fake saints”. In 2019, Giri was elected chief of the Parishad for a second time.

• Last year, a year after the Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya title suit, a meeting of the Akhara Parishad, chaired by Giri, had passed a resolution saying they would initiate a campaign on the lines of Ram Janmabhoomi movement to “free the Hindu temples” in Varanasi and Mathura. Recently, Giri had also demanded the inclusion of the Akhara Parishad in the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Rhino Day 2021: 22nd September

• World Rhino Day is observed globally on 22 September every year. This day provides the opportunity for cause-related organizations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate rhinos in their own unique ways. This day is celebrated to raise awareness of the need to protect all the five existing species of Rhinoceros, which are: Black Rhino, White Rhino, Greater one-horned Rhino, Sumatran Rhino and Javan Rhinos.

• World Rhino Day was first announced by World Wildlife Fund-South Africa in 2010 and is being observed internationally since 2011.

World Alzheimer’s Day 2021: 21st  September

• World Alzheimer’s Day is observed globally on September 21 every year. The day aims to raise awareness about the stigma that runs around Alzheimer disease and related dementia. World Alzheimer’s Day was launched at the opening of ADI’s annual conference in Edinburgh on 21 September 1994 to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

• The theme for World Alzheimer Day 2021 is “Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s”.

• Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. This disease is a degenerative brain disease that causes memory loss and makes it difficult or nearly impossible, to think clearly.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Military Nursing Service dy DG wins National Florence Nightingale Award for 2020

• Brigadier SV Sarasvati, the Deputy Director-General of Military Nursing Service has been honoured with the National Florence Nightingale Award 2020. The National Florence Nightingale Award, the highest national distinction a nurse can achieve. President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the award in a virtual ceremony on Brig Saraswati for her contribution as a nurse administrator.

• Brig Saraswati is from the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and was commissioned into the MNS on December 28, 1983. She has served in the MNS for more than three and half decades, especially in perioperative nursing.

• As a renowned operation theatre nurse, she has assisted in more than 3,000 lifesaving and emergency surgeries and has trained residents, operation room nursing trainees and auxiliary staff in her career.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book “The Three Khans: And the Emergence of New India” by Kaveree Bamzai

• A book has titled “The Three Khans: And the Emergence of New India” authored by Kaveree Bamzai.

• In the book, senior journalist, Kaveree Bamzai has juxtaposed the careers of the 3 Khans, Aamir, Shah Rukh, & Salman, with the most tumultuous times in the history of the republic. Art often responds to social and political dimensions,& in a country short of role models, film stars often play double roles.

RANKING

Mansukh Mandaviya releases FSSAI's 3rd State Food Safety Index

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya has released the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of States across five parameters of food safety. The Minister felicitated nine leading States/UTs based on the ranking for the year 2020-21 for their impressive performance.

• Minister also flagged off 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans (Food Safety on Wheels) to supplement the food safety ecosystem across the country taking the total number of such mobile testing vans to 109.

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Important Current Affairs 21st September 2021

INTERNATIONAL

The Islamic Republic of Iran becomes 9th member of the SCO

• Iran was officially admitted as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The decision to admit Iran as a full member was declared in the 21st summit of the SCO leaders in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. At the end of the 21st Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the leaders of the eight main members of the organisation agreed to change the membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran from an observer member to a full member and signed the relevant documents.

• Accordingly, the technical process of Iran becoming one of the main members of the organisation has begun and Iran will henceforth cooperate and interact with member countries as the main member of the important regional organisation.

NATIONAL

Niti Aayog collaboration with ISRO,CBSE launch ‘Space Challenge’ for students

• Niti Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission in collaboration with ISRO and CBSE has launched ‘Space Challenge’ for school students across India. This challenge has been designed for all the school students, mentors and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) labs but for all the non-ATL schools as well.

• The aim of this challenge is to enable innovation among young school students to create something in the space sector that will not only help them learn about the space but create something that the space programme can use itself.

SPORTS

National Open Athletics: Harmilan Kaur Bains sets national record in 1500m

• Harmilan Kaur Bains of Punjab has created a new national record in the women’s 1500m race by clocking 4:05.39 to bag the gold at the 60th National Open Athletics Championships in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Hanamkonda in Telangana.

• With this achievement, the 23-year-old athlete has erased the 19-year-old record held by Sunita Rani in 1500m at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan by clocking 4:06.03.

Raja Rithvik becomes India’s 70th Grandmaster

• India’s R Raja Rithvik became chess Grandmaster after he crossed the ELO Rating of 2500. The 17-year-old achieved this GM title in Vezerkepzo Grandmaster Chess Tournament at Budapest, Hungary. He thus became the 70th Grandmaster from the country. A native of Warangal, Rithvik has been undergoing advanced coaching at RACE Chess Academy under reputed coach N.V.S. Rama Raju.

OBITUARY

Padma Shri awardee Thanu Padmanabhan passed away

• Renowned Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Thanu Padmanabhan passed away. He was a distinguished professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). He had authored over 300 research papers and several books, with important contributions in areas of gravitation, quantum gravity, and structure and formation of the universe.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Peace 2021: 21 September

• Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

• The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World.” Celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic, and as we recover.

• The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

73rd Emmy award announced

• The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held on September 19, 2021, in Los Angeles, California. The award honoured the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1, 2020, until May 31, 2021, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The 73rd edition of the Television Academy’s top honours is being hosted by Cedric the Entertainer on CBS.

Winners of the 2021 Emmy Awards:

• Outstanding Drama Series: The Crown

• Outstanding Comedy Series: Ted Lasso

• Outstanding Variety Talk Show: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

• Outstanding Limited Series: The Queen’s Gambit

• Outstanding Actor–Comedy: Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

• Outstanding Actor–Drama: Josh O’Connor

• Outstanding Actor–Limited Series or Movie: Ewan McGregor (Halston)

• Outstanding Actress–Comedy: Jean Smart (Hacks)

• Outstanding Actress–Drama: Olivia Colman (The Crown)

• Outstanding Actress–Limited Series or Movie: Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown)

• Outstanding Supporting Actor–Comedy: Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)

• Outstanding Supporting Actor–Drama: Tobias Menzies (The Crown)

• Outstanding Supporting Actor–Limited Series or Movie: Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown)

• Outstanding Supporting Actress–Comedy: Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

• Outstanding Supporting Actress–Drama: Gillian Anderson (The Crown)

• Outstanding Supporting Actress–Limited Series or Movie: Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown)

• Outstanding Director–Comedy: Lucia Aniello (Hacks)

• Outstanding Director–Drama: Jessica Hobbs (The Crown)

• Outstanding Director–Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special: Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit)

• Outstanding Writing–Comedy: Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky (Hacks)

• Outstanding Writing–Drama: Peter Morgan (The Crown)

• Outstanding Writing–Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special: Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)

RANKING

Global Innovation Index 2021: Switzerland Top & India ranks 46th

• India has been ranked at 46th place in the Global Innovation Index 2021 released by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). India has jumped 2 spots from last year’s ranking. Under the Lower middle-income category group, India has been ranked at the second spot after Vietnam. The Global Innovation Index 2021 captures the innovation ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends.

Rank

Country

1st

Switzerland

2nd

Sweden

3rd

United States of America

4th

United Kingdom

5th

Republic of Korea

46th

India

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

HDFC Bank,Paytm to launch co-branded credit cards

• HDFC Bank has announced its partnership with leading payments company Paytm, to offer co-branded credit cards on the Visa platform to businesspersons, millennials and merchants. The HDFC Bank-Paytm co-branded credit cards will be launched in October during the festive season to tap into the high consumer demand for credit cards, equated monthly instalments (EMIs), and buy now pay later (BNPL) options and the full suite of products will be offered by the end of December 2021.

• The collaboration between HDFC Bank and Paytm is part of the strategies of the HDFC Bank to regain its lost market share in the credit card space due to the ban imposed on it by RBI for eight months as a penalty, following several outages in its digital offerings.

• HDFC Bank and Paytm will also collaborate to introduce business credit cards, which will offer a host of benefits for merchant partners from the smaller cities and towns of India and enable them to get easier access to credit with instant and paperless approvals.

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Important Current Affairs 20th September 2021

INTERNATIONAL

The Netherlands unveils its first national Holocaust monument

• A monument listing 102,163 Dutch victims of the Holocaust was unveiled by King Willem-Alexander in Amsterdam on Sunday, the first national memorial to be built in the Netherlands.

• The monument, designed by Daniel Libeskind, 75, who lost relatives in the Holocaust, lies in the centre of the Dutch capital and is a labyrinth of brick walls that, when seen from above, form Hebrew letters reading "in remembrance".

Taliban removes Uzbek from official language status

• Contrary to their pledges of forming an inclusive government and respecting all the ethnicities in its Islamic Emirate, the Taliban removed Uzbek from official language status.

• The law entitled "Fundamentals" indicates the official religion of Afghanistan Sunni Islam of the Hanafi madhhab, as well as its official Languages-Pashto and Dari. Earlier in Afghanistan, along with them, the Uzbek language had an official status, which is spoken by many residents of the northern provinces. In addition, there is a sizable Shiite community in the country, consisting mainly of Hazaras.

NATIONAL

Metro train services in Agra and Kanpur to start operations by November

• In Uttar Pradesh, two more cities Agra and Kanpur will have Metro rail service later this year. It was informed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur yesterday while virtually unveiling the first prototype train for the two projects. These prototypes Metro trains were received from Vadodara in Gujarat.

• Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation is working on a war footing to provide Metro rail public transport service to people at Kanpur and Agra and Metro will start operations from nearby November 30th this year. He said efforts are being made to get the metro service launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Delhi government launches 'Music' Bus' to train students

• Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday launched a mobile music classroom and recording studio which aims to assist children of Delhi government schools in pursuing their passion in music.

• The Delhi government claimed that it is India’s first ‘Mobile Music Bus’, and aims to train children through a media-based curriculum, including audio production and film production, to help them build sustainable careers in these fields.

• The project is likely to benefit 5,000 children.

Ration card related services now available at common services centre

• Services related to ration card, such as applying for a new card, updating details and seeding with Aadhaar, will now be available at over 3.7 lakh common services centres (CSC) across the country.

• The move is expected to benefit 23.64 crore ration card holders across the country.

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has tied up with CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd, a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Electronics & IT, to streamline ration deliveries and strengthen public distribution system (PDS) in semi-urban and rural areas across the country.

India to become 3rd largest importer by year 2050

• With a growing middle class and its rising discretionary spending, India will become the world’s third largest importer by 2050 with a share of 5.9% of global imports, right behind China and the US, a new report said.

• At present, India is ranked eighth among largest importing nations with a 2.8% import share and is set to become the fourth largest importer by 2030.

SPORTS

Virat Kohli to step down as RCB captain after IPL 2021

• Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday announced that Virat Kohli will step down as RCB captain after the end of Indian Premier League 2021 season. "Hello everyone, the whole RCB family, the amazing fans of Bangalore and to all those who have supported us. I have an announcement to make," Kohli said in a video uploaded on RCB's official Twitter handle.

• “This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me,” Kohli said.

OBITUARY

Veteran journalist, columnist KM Roy, passed away

• Noted journalist and columnist KM Roy passed away at his residence in Kochi on Saturday, September 18, at the age of 84.

• He died due to an age-related illness. Roy was the recipient of Swadeshabhimani Kesari award, the highest honour that journalists receive from the Kerala government.

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Important Current Affairs 19th September 2021

NATIONAL

India, Nepal to hold joint military exercise 'Surya Kiran' from Sept 20

• The 15th edition of Indo–Nepal Joint Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran will be held from September 20, 2021, at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. The previous edition of the Exercise Surya Kiran was conducted in Nepal in 2019. The exercise was called off in 2020, due to the C-19 pandemic.

• The Indian Army and Nepali Army would share their experiences of various counter-insurgency operations, and familiarise themselves with each other’s weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures of operating in a counter-insurgency environment in mountainous terrain.

• The joint military training will help in improving bilateral relations and further strengthen the traditional friendship between the two nations.

Nagaland’s first and India’s 61st Software Technology Park of India (STPI) centre inaugurated

• Nagaland’s first and India’s 61st Software Technology Park of India (STPI) centre was inaugurated at Kohima. The inauguration of the STPI centre in Kohima is a fulfilment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of creating a technology ecosystem in the northeast to create opportunities for future generations in the region.

• The MoS urged the need to create real change in the technology ecosystem. In order to create job opportunities, he said, the state government must work towards creating an interconnection of institutions to create awareness about various opportunities available for the youth.

Manipur’s Sirarakhong Chilli and Tamenglong Orange gets GI tag

• Two famous products of Manipur, Hathei chilli, which is found in Manipur’s Ukrul district and is known for its unique flavour, and Tamenglong mandarin orange have been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. This is a historic milestone in the history of Manipur and it will increase the income of farmers in Manipur.

• The Hathei chilly works as a good anti-oxidant and possesses high calcium and Vitamin C levels. It has an extremely high American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) colour value of 164. The extractable colour of chilli is usually expressed using ASTA values.

SPORTS

India’s Pankaj Advani wins Asian Snooker Championship 2021

• India’s Pankaj Advani won the Asian Snooker Championship 2021 by defeating Amir Sarkhosh. He has won this title for a second consecutive time. He is the winner of the last Asian Snooker Championship held in 2019.

• In 2019, Pankaj also became the only player who won the titles in all forms of billiards, snooker, 6Reds, and 10Reds competitions. Yasin Merchant (1989, 2001), Alok Kumar (2004), Aditya Mehta (2012) were the other Indians who won the championship.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Alka Nangia Arora appoints as the new CMD of National Small Industries Corporation Ltd

• Alka Nangia Arora has been appointed as the Chairman cum Managing Director (CMD) of the National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC). She has taken the additional charge of the post on September 14, 2021. She is a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises.

• The National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) is a Mini Ratna company established in 1955. It falls under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises of India and serves as a nodal agency for several schemes of the Ministry of MSME.

Charanjit Singh Channi will be the next chief minister of Punjab

• The Congress party has elected Charanjit Singh Channi, the outgoing technical education minister, as the new chief minister of Punjab after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the post. He has been elected as the leader of the Punjab Congress Legislative Party (CLP). He is an MLA from the Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency. He will become Punjab’s first Dalit chief minister

• Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the chief minister of Punjab on Saturday following months of infighting between him and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Red Panda Day 2021: Third Saturday of September

• The International Red Panda Day (IRPD) is celebrated on the third Saturday of September every year to raise public awareness and support for red panda conservation issues. In 2021, the IRPD is being observed on 18 September 2021. The day was launched by the Red Panda Network in 2010. The first international red Panda day was celebrated on 18th September 2010.

• There are two distinct species of red pandas Ailurus fulgens is commonly known as Himalayan Red Panda and Ailurus fulgens styani commonly known as Chinese Red Panda, these are mostly found in the Eastern Himalayan region and southwestern China. Genetically the red pandas belong to the order of Carnivora, but mostly eat bamboo shoots, mushrooms etc and also eat birds, eggs, and insects. The average lifespan of these red pandas is 23 years and the female pandas stop breeding after the age of 12.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book‘Shining Sikh Youth of India’ launched by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

• The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has released a book titled ‘Shining Sikh Youth of India’ in New Delhi, as a part of the commemoration of the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhs.

• The book has been authored by Dr Prabhleen Singh, administrative officer at the Punjabi University, Patiala. It covers 100 inspirational and motivational success stories of Sikh youth in India who have done exemplary work in their respective fields.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

LIC Launched Mobile App ‘PRAGATI’

• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a new mobile app ‘PRAGATI’ for the exclusive use of its Development Officers. PRAGATI stands for “Performance Review Application, Growth And Trend Indicator”. LIC has been taking a lot of customer-centric and digital initiatives for ease of operations for its customers and field force.

• The Pragati app will help the Development Officers to get near real-time information about the performance of their agency force in critical areas of business performance like premium collection, agency activisation, prospective outperformers, etc apart from monitoring their team on activities such as usage of agents mobile app and NACH validation. The app also provides development officers with a calculator to measure their cost ratio.

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Important Current Affairs 18th September 2021

NATIONAL

21st  Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Meeting

• The 21st Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State was held in hybrid format on September 17, 2021, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon. This was the first SCO Summit held in a hybrid format and the fourth Summit in which India participated as a full-fledged member of SCO.

• The Indian delegation was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who participated in the meeting via video-link and at Dushanbe, India was represented by External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar. PM Modi has expressed India’s support for the “central role” of the United Nations in the global deliberation regarding the current system in Afghanistan.

OBITUARY

Former Indian player Bhabani Roy passed away

• Former India footballer and Mohun Bagan captain, Bhabani Roy passed away. He was joined Bagan in 1966 and played for the club till 1972.

• He represented India in the 1969 Merdeka Cup and played in three matches. Bhabani Roy helped Mohun Bagan win the Rovers Cup in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1972 (Joint Winner). At the domestic level, he was part of the West Bengal team that won the Santosh Trophy in 1968 and 1971.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Equal Pay Day 2021: 18th  September

• International Equal Pay Day is celebrated on 18 September. The inaugural edition of the day was observed in the year 2020. The day aims to achieve equal pay for work of equal value and break the walls against all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women and girls.

• The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe September 18 as International Equal Pay Day, on November 15, 2019, which was introduced by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC). The resolution was co-sponsored by a total of 105 member states. As well as recognising the contribution of workers’ and employers’ organizations, and businesses, the resolution also acknowledged the work and contribution of EPIC to achieving equal pay.

World Bamboo Day 2021: 18th September

• World Bamboo Day is observed every year on 18 September to raise awareness of the benefits of bamboo and to promote its use in everyday products. Bamboos are used for various purposes mainly in East and Southeast Asia. Bamboo is a tall, tree-like grass of the family Poaceae. It comprises more than 115 genera and 1,400 species.

• The theme for the 12th edition of WBD 2021 is ‘#PlantBamboo: It Is Time To Plant Bamboo’

• WBD was officially declared by the World Bamboo Organization on September 18 at the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok in 2009. The aim of the WBO is to bring the potential of bamboo to more elevated exposure, to promote new cultivation of bamboo for new industries in regions across the world, and also to promote traditional uses locally for community economic development, etc.

World Water Monitoring Day 2021: 18th  September

• The World Water Monitoring Day is observed every year on September 18 since 2003 to increase public awareness and involvement in water monitoring and protecting water resources around the world. This day is celebrated to increase public awareness and involvement in water monitoring and protecting water resources around the world. World Water Monitoring Day engages people of all ages in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water.

• The day was established in 2003 by America’s Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational outreach program by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. The event is now coordinated by the Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association.

International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2021: 18th September

• The International Coastal Cleanup Day is traditionally held on the third Saturday in September. In 2021, the day is being held on 18 September. The theme of International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2021: “Keep trash in the bin and not in the ocean”. Coastal Cleanup Day was established by the Ocean Conservancy, an organization that works to help protect the ocean from the challenges it faces every year.

• The first International Coastal Cleanup Day was observed in 1986. The day aims to increase public awareness about the accumulation and negative impacts of litter in oceans, on coastlines and on beaches.

Books & Authors

Book ‘Translating Myself and Others’ by Jhumpa Lahiri 

• The Pulitzer Prize-winning noted fiction writer, Jhumpa Lahiri, is set to launch her new book titled ‘Translating Myself and Others’, which will highlight her work as a translator. The new book is planned to be out in Spring 2022.

• It will be a collection of essays that reflect Lahiri’s experiences on the meaning of translation, translating her own writing, and writing across languages. The book will be published by Princeton University Press.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

RBI Innovation Hub as CTO

• Global Deputy CTO of State Bank of India, Amit Saxena has joined RBI Innovation Hub as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The Reserve Bank announced that it would set up Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) to promote innovation across the financial sector by leveraging on technology and creating an environment that would facilitate and foster innovation.

• The RBIH shall create an ecosystem that would focus on promoting access to financial services and products. This will also promote financial inclusion.

• The Hub will collaborate with financial sector institutions, the technology industry, and academic institutions and coordinate efforts for the exchange of ideas and development of prototypes related to financial innovations.

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Important Current Affairs 17th September 2021

National

Manoj Sinha launched ‘One Gram Panchayat-One DIGI-Pay Sakhi’

• In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has launched a new mission called ‘One Gram Panchayat-One DIGI-Pay Sakhi’. The mission was launched at Jammu & Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Pampore. He outlined that DIGI-Pay Sakhi has introduced financial inclusion within the UT’s Self Help Group (SHG) ecosystem, creating much needed financial access points with greater transparency even in the remotest of the areas.

• Initially, the DIGI-Pay facility will be provided in 2,000 remote villages of UT. In the first phase, 80 women from self-help groups from across the Jammu and Kashmir divisions have been selected as DIGI-Pay Sakhis.

• On the occasion, the Lt Governor distributed 80 Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems (AEPs) among the DIGI-Pay Sakhis under the Jammu & Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM).

NITI Aayog Releases Report on ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India’

• NITI Aayog has launched a report titled ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India’ which presents measures to ramp up urban planning capacity in India. The report was released on September 16, 2021, jointly by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Shri Amitabh Kant and Special Secretary Dr K. Rajeswara Rao.

• The report has made several recommendations that can unblock bottlenecks in the value chain of urban planning capacity in India. Some of them include programmatic Intervention for the Planning of Health, Re-engineering of Urban Governance, Revision of Town and Country Planning Acts.

• The report suggests that every city must aspire to become a ‘Healthy City for All’ by 2030.

• The report has also recommended a Central Sector Scheme named ‘500 Healthy Cities Programme’, for a period of 5 years. Under this priority cities and towns would be selected jointly by the states and local bodies.

Union Cabinet approved 100% FDI under automatic route in Telecom Sector

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a number of structural and process reforms in the Telecom sector, to provide relief to ailing telecom service providers, struggling with high levels of debt. A total of 9 structural and 5 process reforms have been approved by the Union Cabinet.

• The relief package is expected to protect and generate employment opportunities, promote healthy competition, protect the interests of consumers, infuse liquidity, encourage investment and reduce the regulatory burden on Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).

Union Cabinet approved Rs 26,058 crore production linked incentive Scheme 

• The Union Cabinet has approved a production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for auto, auto-components and drone industries to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities. The PLI scheme will incentivise the emergence of advanced automotive technologies’ global supply chain in India. Incentives worth Rs. 26,058 crore will be provided to industry over five years, the minister told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

• The PLI scheme for automobile and drone industries is part of the overall announcement of PLI schemes for 13 sectors made earlier during the Union Budget 2021-22, with an outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore.

• The scheme for the auto sector envisages overcoming the cost disabilities to the industry for the manufacture of advanced automotive technology products in India.

• From the total budget of Rs 26,058 crores, an amount of Rs 25,938 crores has been sanctioned for the automobile industry and Rs 120 crores for the drone industry.

Prime Minister Modi launched Sansad TV along with LS Speaker Om Birla

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Sansad TV, which has been created by merging Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV, jointly with Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

• Sansad TV programming will touch upon the functioning of the Parliament and democratic institutions, governance and implementation of schemes and policies, history and culture of India and issues of interest to the common man. The new channel adds another important chapter in the country’s parliamentary system.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Indu Malhotra appointed as DDCA Ombudsman

• Former Supreme Court judge, Justice (Retired) Indu Malhotra will be the new Ombudsman cum Ethics Officer of Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) for a period of one year was made. The DDCA’s general body, headed by its president Rohan Jaitley, decided on 65-year-old Justice (Retd) Malhotra’s appointment.

• In 2007, Malhotra was designated senior advocate by the Supreme Court and she became only the second woman to be designated by the apex court after a gap of three decades. She has been appointed amicus curiae by different benches of the Supreme Court in some matters. After serving as legal counsel in the Supreme Court for 30 years, she was unanimously recommended for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court.

OBITUARY

Eminent Writer Aziz Hajini passed away

• Noted writer and former secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Aziz Hajini passed away. Hajini, born as Abdul Aziz Parray in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, was appointed Secretary J&K Academy of Art Culture and Languages in 2015. He has over twenty books in Kashmiri to his credit including poetry and criticism.

• Hajini won the Sahitya Akademi Award (criticism) in 2016 for his book ‘Aane Khane’ written in Kashmiri. He has also won the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 2013 for Za Gaz Zameen, Kashmiri translation of Abdul Samad’s Urdu novel Do Gaz Zameen.

Olympic Gold Medalist Yuriy Sedykh passed away

• Double Olympic hammer throw gold medallist Yuriy Sedykh, a Ukrainian track and field athlete who represented the Soviet Union until 1991, has passed away. He set the world record for the hammer throw with a throw of 86.74 metres at the European Championships in Stuttgart in 1986 which is still not broken.

• He won his first gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and his second gold at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Ayaan Shankta from Mumbai named as “2021 International Young Eco-Hero”

• A 12-year-old environmental activist from Mumbai, Maharashtra, Ayaan Shankta has been named as “2021 International Young Eco-Hero”.

• He won the 3rd prize under the Age Group: 8-14 for his project “Conservation and Rehabilitation of Powai Lake” and became one of the 25 global winners of the Young Eco-Hero Award 2021. The award presented by “The Action for Nature”, San Francisco based NGO, recognize young people (8 to 16 years old) for their environmental achievements.

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Important Current Affairs 16th September 2021

NATIONAL

PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University in Aligarh

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University at Aligarh, in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh government is establishing the university in memory and honour of noted Jat figure, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, the great freedom fighter, educationist and social reformer.

• The University will be spread over an area of over 92 acres at Lodha village and Musepur Kareem Jarouli village of Kol tehsil in Aligarh and will provide affiliation to 395 colleges of the Aligarh division.

India to hold Global Buddhist Conference in November 2021

• India is set to host the first-ever Global Buddhist Conference on November 19 and 20, 2021, in Nava Nalanda Mahavihara campus, in Nalanda, Bihar. The academic conference, being organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), will become an annual feature. Four regional conferences in India (Telangana, Saranath, Gangtok and Dharamshala) and abroad (Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Cambodia) will be organised, in the run-up to the conference. The reports of these regional conferences will be presented at the inaugural Global Buddhist Conference.

• Global Buddhist Conference focuses on making India the center of Buddhism, by promoting Buddhist activities, like academic, cultural, seminars, people travelling for festivals like Buddha Purnima, Vesak.

• As a part of the event, an award for the promotion of Buddhist studies, which will be given on November 21 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, carrying a cash reward of $20,000 (around Rs 14.7 lakh), a plaque, and a gold-plated medallion.

IIT Bombay launched AI-based translation 'Project Udaan'

• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has launched ‘Project Udaan’, a language translator, to break the language barrier in education, which hampers the flow of messages. The Project Udaan, a donation-based project, is an end-to-end ecosystem, which can translate scientific and technical content from English to Hindi and all other Indian languages.

• Project Udaan uses an AI-based translation software ecosystem, to translate engineering textbooks and learning materials, and all main streams of higher learning, in the desired language, in one-sixth of the time taken by a team of domain and linguistic experts working manually on it.

India to hold biennial defence dialogue with African nations

• The Government of India has proposed to institutionalise the India-Africa Defence Dialogue, as a regular event, to be held on the sidelines of the biennial DefExpo military exhibition. The first India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave (IADMC) was held at DefExpo in February 2020 in Lucknow.

• Following this, second India – Africa Defence Dialogue will be held on the sidelines of the DefExpo, scheduled to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat in March 2022. The theme of the 2nd India Africa Defence Dialogue will be ‘India – Africa: Adopting Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation.

Peace Mission-2021: India takes part in SCO joint military exercise in Russia

• The Indian military contingent comprising of an all arms combined force of 200 personnel is participating in the Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION -2021, a Joint Counter Terrorism Exercise between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states. The Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION- 2021 is being hosted by Russia in the Orenburg Region of South-West Russia from September 13 to 25, 2021. In 2021, the 6th edition of the biennial multilateral Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION is being undertaken.

• The aim of the exercise is to foster close relations between SCO member states and to enhance the abilities of the military leaders to command multi-national military contingents. The exercise will enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of SCO nations. The exercise will also provide an opportunity to the Armed Forces of SCO Nations to train in Counter-Terrorism Operations in an urban scenario in a multinational and joint environment.

SPORTS

Zimbabwe’s wicket-keeper batsman Brendan Taylor announced retirement from International Cricket

• Former Zimbabwe skipper and wicket-keeper batsman, Brendan Taylor has announced his retirement from international cricket.

• He made the announcement while playing the third final ODI match on September 13, 2021, against Ireland. The 34-year batsman made his ODI debut for Zimbabwe in 2004 against Sri Lanka. He has scored 6677 runs from 204 ODI matches in his 17-year ODI career.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Former Olympic shooter R. R. Singh appointed acting president of Olympic Council of Asia

• India’s Raja Randhir Singh has taken over as acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia as Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah appeals a guilty verdict in a Swiss forgery trial. A five-time Olympic shooter and an Asian Games gold medallist in 1978, Singh was promoted to the role from his position as an honorary life vice president.

• During the interim period, Raja Randhir Singh will carry out the duties and responsibilities of the OCA President, starting with the OCA Executive Board Meeting scheduled to be held on 13th September 2021.” Singh had been part of OCA as secretary-general for 24 years since 1991 and is the longest-serving executive board member. He is also an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2021 :16th September

• The International Day for the preservation for the Ozone layer (World Ozone Day) is observed annually on September 16 to spread awareness of the depletion of the Ozone Layer and search for solutions to preserve it. The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet.

• The theme for 2021 World Ozone Day: ‘Montreal Protocol – keeping us, our food and vaccines cool.’

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Unesco awards NIOS for innovation in education

• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), run by the education ministry, has bagged global recognition from UNESCO for its innovative approach towards education. The recognition is for educating differently-abled people through technology-enabled inclusive learning material. The NIOS move has a specific focus on Indian sign language-based content.

• By awarding NIOS the King Sejong Literacy Prize, the jury has recognized the value of providing for the unique educational and language needs of PwD learners by developing teaching content in sign language through digital mode. The award-winning programme focuses on the use of digital tools and local language to help persons with disabilities the option to access Indian Sign Language (ISL)-based content.

Florence Nightingale Award will be given to a nurse, Bhanumati Gheewala, from Sir Sayajirao General Hospital

• The Florence Nightingale Award will be given to a nurse, Bhanumati Gheewala, from Sir Sayajirao General Hospital, Gujarat. She has been in charge of C-19 positive pregnant women’s deliveries as well as infant care. She worked in the gynaecology department as well in the paediatric ward. In 2019, when the wards of the hospital were waterlogged due to flood. She carried her duty in the gynaecology department and the pediatric ward.

• The Florence Nightingale Award is given by the Indian Nursing Council. This is a statutory agency under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to recognise the contributions of healthcare workers.

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Important Current Affairs 15th September 2021

NATIONAL

India and US launched the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue

•India and the United States of America (USA) have launched the “Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD)”. It will strengthen India-US bilateral cooperation on climate and environment. The dialogue was launched by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Bhupender Yadav and Mr John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) in New Delhi.

•“Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD)” is one of the two tracks of the India-U.S. Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership launched at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021. The other track is Strategic Clean Energy Partnership.

•CAFMD will demonstrate how the world can align swift climate action with inclusive and resilient economic development, taking into account national circumstances and sustainable development priorities.

SPORTS

England’s Joe Root, Eimear Richardson named ICC Players of the Month for August 2021

•England Test skipper Joe Root and Ireland’s Eimear Richardson have been voted as the winners of the ICC Players of the Month for August 2021. Root was voted the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August for his consistent performances in the Test series against India that was part of the next cycle of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

•In women’s cricket, Ireland’s Eimear Richardson has had a sensational August as well and was adjudged the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August 2021. During the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe qualifier, Richardson won the Player of the Tournament award for her superb performance with the bat and the ball, starting off against Germany, she returned figures of 2/6, as the Irish cruised home to a comfortable 164-run victory.

Srilankan Pacer Lasith Malinga announced retirement from all forms of cricket

•Lasith Malinga has announced his retirement from T20 cricket after 295 matches where he picked 390 wickets. He had already retired from Tests in 2011 and from ODIs in 2019. The Sri Lanka pacer had also announced his retirement from franchise cricket in January this year after being released by Mumbai Indians.

•Malinga was the first bowler to bag 100 T20I wickets before ending with 107 scalps. He finishes fourth in the highest wicket-taker category in the list behind Dwayne Bravo, Imran Tahir and Sunil Narine.

•Malinga, one of the best T20 bowlers of all time, was a crucial figure in the teams he represented in the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League, and other franchise tournaments. He was part of four of the five IPL championship wins with Mumbai Indians but had opted out of the 2020 tournament.

International Olympic Committee Suspended North Korea From Beijing Olympics

•North Korea was formally suspended from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 10th Sept as punishment for refusing to send a team to the Tokyo Games citing the C-19 pandemic.

•IOC president Thomas Bach said the North Korean national Olympic body will also now forfeit money it was due from the previous Olympics. The unspecified amount — potentially millions of dollars — had been withheld because of international sanctions.

MS Dhoni will be mentor Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021

•BCCI announced that the former India captain MS Dhoni will mentor the team for the tournament, which will be played in UAE and Oman in October and November. He announced his retirement from international limited-overs cricket on August 15, 2020.

•Dhoni had last played for India in the 2019 ICC World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. Dhoni, who leads Chennai Super Kings, is a three-time IPL-winning captain and has brought home three major ICC trophies — World T20, Champions Trophy and World Cup.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Lymphoma Awareness Day 2021: 15 September

•The World Lymphoma Awareness Day (WLAD) is observed globally on September 15 every year. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about lymphoma and the particular emotional and psychosocial challenges facing patients and caregivers suffering from different forms of lymphoma.

•World Lymphoma Day was initiated in 2002 by the Lymphoma Coalition(link is external), a worldwide network of 83 lymphoma patient groups based in Ontario, Canada, whose mission is enabling global impact by fostering a lymphoma ecosystem that ensures local change and evidence-based action. One of their key activities is to provide a centralised hub of reliable current information and a platform for member organisations to share resources, best practices, policies and procedures.

National Engineer’s Day 2021 : 15 September

•In India, Engineer’s Day is celebrated on September 15 every year. The day is celebrated to recognise the contribution of engineers in the development of the nation. The day marks the birth anniversary of the engineering pioneer of India, Sir Mokshagundam Vishweshvaraya, (popularly known as Sir MV). He was awarded ‘Bharat Ratna’ for his exceptional contribution to the building of India in 1955. He has also conferred the British knighthood and served as Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918.

•In 1968, the Indian government declared Sir M Visvesvaraya’s birth anniversary as Engineers’ Day. Sir MV was regarded as the “Father of Modern Mysore”. Since then, this day is celebrated to honour and acknowledge all engineers who have contributed and still do so to build a modern and developed India.

International Day of Democracy 2021: 15 September

•International Day of Democracy is observed globally on 15th September every year. It was established through a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007, for promoting and upholding the principles of democracy and provide an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.

•The theme for 2021 International Day of Democracy is “Strengthening democratic resilience in the face of future crises”.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Anand Kumar(Mathematician) Awarded with Swami Brahmanand Award 2021

•Mathematician Anand Kumar was conferred with the Swami Brahmanand Award 2021 for his contribution in the field of education through his ‘Super 30’ initiative, which prepares underprivileged students for the IIT entrance exam. He received the award from professor Roop Kishore Shastri, the vice-chancellor of Haridwar’s Gurukula Kangri deemed university, at a function in the Rath area of Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

•The award carrying Rs 10,000 in cash, a bronze medal, a bronze statue of Swami Brahmanand and a certificate is given every year to people who have done special work in the education sector or for the welfare of the cow.

•‘Super 30’ is a coaching programme of Kumar’s Patna-based Ramanujan School of Mathematics. It hunts for 30 meritorious students from among economically backward sections of the society and shapes them to clear the test to get into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT).

Hyderabad: ICRISAT conferred “AFRICA FOOD PRIZE 2021”

•Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been awarded the Africa Food Prize for 2021 for improving food security in sub-Saharan Africa. The Tropical Legumes Project developed 266 varieties of improved legumes and half a million tons of seeds for a range of legume crops, including cowpeas, pigeon peas, chickpea, common bean, groundnut, and soybean. The improved seeds benefitted over 25 million farmers in climate-resilient approaches and to control pest outbreaks across the region.

•ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political public international research organisation that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book ‘Human Rights and Terrorism in India’ by Subramanian Swamy

•A book has titled ‘Human Rights and Terrorism in India’ authored by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy. He has come out with a book “Human Rights and Terrorism in India” which traces how the combating of terrorism can be harmonised with human and fundamental rights within reasonable restrictions that are permitted by the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court.

•It is the thesis of this study that to deter terror, India as a nation must foster a concept of identity. The release of three dreaded terrorists in exchange for hijacked Indian Airlines passengers in Afghanistan’s Kandahar in 1999 is the “worst capitulation” to terrorists in India”s modern history.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

DBS Bank tie-up with SWIFT

•DBS Bank has launched real-time online tracking for cross-border payments for its corporate clients, in partnership with SWIFT Global Payments Innovation (GPI). The service can be availed using the bank’s corporate online banking platform ‘DBS IDEAL’. DBS is the first bank in India and Asia-Pacific to offer this service to corporate clients, at no additional cost.

•The new inbound tracking service by DBS Bank will allow corporates customers to see when a payment is on its way and when it is arriving at the beneficiary, which in turn will reduce operational costs and inefficiencies.

•The initiative is expected to benefit around 4,000 corporate and small business clients in India, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam.

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Important Current Affairs 14th September 2021

NATIONAL

Chhattisgarh launches 'Millet Mission' for farmers, hopes to become Millet hub of India

• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has announced the launch of ‘Millet Mission’, which aims to provide proper price rates to farmers for minor cereal crops. The initiative is also a step towards the Chief Minister’s vision for the state to become India’s millet hub. To implement the mission, the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), Hyderabad and the collectors of 14 districts of the state.

• Other important benefits under the Millet Mission to farmers will include input assistance for millet, procurement arrangements, aid farmers in the processing of crops and ensure that the farmers get the benefit of the expertise of experts.

Haryana adjudged first in installation of solar pumps under PM-KUSUM

• Haryana has topped among all other states of the country in terms of installation of off-grid solar pumps under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahaabhiyaan (PM-KUSUM), as per the data by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Haryana has installed 14,418 pumps against 15,000 sanctioned pumps for the year 2020-21. Haryana was given a target of 15,000 pumps for the year 2020-21 with a total cost of Rs 520 crore.

• The centrally-sponsored PM-KUSUM scheme was launched in 2019 with the target to install 20 lakh standalone solar pumps.

• Under this scheme, farmers have to bear 40 per cent of the pump’s cost, while the central and state governments subsidize the remaining 60 per cent for solar pumps that have a capacity of up to 10 HP.

• However, Haryana and some other states have provided additional top-up on the subsidies, which has reduced the farmer’s share to less than 25 per cent.

Odisha: Nuakhai Juhar harvest festival celebrated in the state

• Nuakhai Juhar, the agrarian festival of Western Odisha, was celebrated with religious fervour and tradition. It is celebrated 1 day after the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi.

• Nuakhai is a crop festival celebrated by people of Western Odisha and Southern Chhattisgarh, to welcome the new rice of the season. Nua means new and khai means food. So, the festival of nuakhai is a festival to celebrate newly harvested food by the farmers.

SPORTS

India’s Jeev Milkha Singh becomes first golfer in world to be granted Dubai Golden Visa

• Star Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh has become the first professional golfer in the world to receive the prestigious 10-year Dubai Golden Visa in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the sport. The 49-year-old Jeev has had a long association with Dubai, having featured in several tournaments and making many friends in the city.

• During the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic, Jeev had established a world record at that time when he completed the four rounds with just 94 putts while finishing tied sixth. Jeev, winner of four titles on the European Tour, four on Japan Golf Tour and six on the Asian Tour, has received the 10-year ‘Gold card’ for being an elite professional athlete.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Skyroot Aerospace first spacetech startup to formally sign up with ISRO

• A Hyderabad-based Space technology startup, Skyroot Aerospace has become the first private company to formally enter into an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The Framework MoU will allow the company to undertake multiple tests and access facilities at various ISRO centres and avail the technical expertise of ISRO for testing and qualifying their space launch vehicle systems and subsystems.

• The agreement was signed by R Umamaheswaran, scientific secretary at ISRO and chairman at Interim IN-SPACe Committee, and Pawan Chandana, who is the CEO of Skyroot Aerospace.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Prativa Mohapatra appointed as Vice President, Managing Director at Adobe India

• US tech giant Adobe has announced the appointment of Prativa Mohapatra as vice president and managing director for Adobe India. In this role, Mohapatra will lead Adobe’s India business across Adobe Experience Cloud, Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud, reporting to Simon Tate, Adobe’s president for the Asia Pacific (APAC).

• Mohapatra’s career spans over 25 years in the technology industry. She joins Adobe from tech firm IBM, where she served as vice president of digital sales for APAC. Prior to that, she led sales for IBM India and South Asia where she was responsible for driving revenue for the company’s portfolio of solutions and services.

NCLAT gets third Acting Chairperson since Mar 2020

• Justice M. Venugopal has been named as the new Acting Chairperson of the appellate tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). This is the third time in a row that an Acting Chairperson is at the helm of the NCLAT, after the retirement of permanent Chairperson Justice S J . Mukhopadhaya on March 14, 2020.

• Justice Bansi Lal Bhat was the first Acting Chairperson from March 15, 2020, followed by Justice A I S Cheema from April 19, 2021, and subsequently Justice M. Venugopal from September 11, 2021.

• He is a former judge of the High Court of Madras. He had joined as a Sub-Judge in Tamil Nadu State Judicial Service on June 5, 1997, and later was elevated to Madras High Court in November 2007, where he had served for eleven-and-a-half years.

Aziz Akhannouch appointed as the new PM of Morocco

• Aziz Akhannouch has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Morocco by the country’s King Mohammed VI. Akhannouch’s National Rally of Independents (RNI) party secured 102 out of the 395 seats in the parliament election, held on September 10, 2021.

• Prior to this appointment, the 60-year-old was the Minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2021.

• The announcement came after Akhannouch’s National Rally of Independents (RNI) party triumphed in Wednesday’s parliamentary polls. The pro-business RNI managed to secure 102 out of the 395 seats in parliament, toppling the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which won a paltry 13 seats.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Hindi Diwas 2021:14th September

• Hindi Diwas or Hindi Day is observed every year on 14 September to mark the popularity of Hindi as an official language of India. The language was adopted under Article 343 of the Indian Constitution. The first Hindi day was celebrated on 14th September 1953.

• Later, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru announced this day to be celebrated as Hindi Diwas in the country.

• There are 22 Scheduled languages of India, of which, two are officially used at the Union government of India level: Hindi and English.

• Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in the world.

• Hindi Divas is celebrated on 14 September because, on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Susanna Clarke wins Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021

• Author Susanna Clarke won the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021 for her novel ‘Piranesi’. Novelist and Booker-winner Bernardine Evaristo chaired the Women’s Prize judging panel this year.

• ‘Piranesi’ is narrated by a man living in a labyrinthine, statue-filled house — alone except for a visitor known as the Other — that comprises his whole universe. Susanna Clarke: English author known for her debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

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